


make a spark, break the dark (find a light with me)

by blowthepiri



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Barista Siyeon, F/F, Fluff, Model Minji, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:28:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blowthepiri/pseuds/blowthepiri
Summary: “Not all of us can be functional lesbians,” Siyeon mutters.“Yeah, clearly,” Yubin jokes.
Relationships: Kim Minji | JiU/Lee Siyeon, Lee Siyeon & Lee Gahyeon, Lee Siyeon & Lee Yubin | Dami, background Kim Yoohyeon/Lee Yubin | Dami, mention of past Kim Bora/SuA | Lee Siyeon
Comments: 13
Kudos: 117





	make a spark, break the dark (find a light with me)

**Author's Note:**

> this is genuinely just fluff. pure fluff. barely any plot. enjoy

It’s a slow day. Not many customers, not much coffee to make, not many people to talk to. Except her annoying co-worker who keeps complaining that she’s bored (who she likes, mind you, but she can only take so much complaining before she wants to snap and throw caramel syrup at her head). 

“Man, why do they always pick me to work on the slow days?” Siyeon grumbles. 

“Probably because you’re the worst barista here,” Gahyeon replies, helpfully. 

Siyeon glares at her. She’s not wrong. She regularly fucks up the orders, she has mild anxiety so she’s not a fan of talking to customers, and once a man said something very rude to Gahyeon and Siyeon almost got herself fired for... well, actually trying to throw caramel syrup at his head.

But Gahyeon doesn’t need to say it. 

Siyeon just scoffs. “I’m your favourite person here.” 

“I never said you weren’t, but you’re also the worst barista. Both can be true.” 

Siyeon’s about to reply, snarkily, but she can’t because a customer has decided just now to come in and stop their banter in their tracks. It’s—

Oh. It’s the girl that Siyeon’s been kind of obsessing over for the past three months. She doesn’t even know her real name, because the name she gives to the baristas is JiU, which is obviously not her actual name. Right? 

She looks beautiful and tall, and Siyeon has to remind herself that she’s working and not at a bar and that drooling over the clientele is creepy and wrong. 

(She’ll look respectfully, though.) 

“Hi,” JiU says, moving a strand of her purple hair out of her face. God, purple really looks good on her. She looks like a muse. 

“Your usual?” Siyeon blurts out. Gahyeon snorts behind her. “I mean, hi, welcome to—” 

“It’s okay,” JiU says with a laugh. “Yes, my usual, please. I’m surprised you remembered.” 

Siyeon wants to laugh, loudly, without humour, because who in their right state of mind would ever forget anything about this girl? She’s so easily memorizable. 

“I remember all of our regulars’ orders,” Siyeon lies. 

Gahyeon starts to say, “yeah, okay,” but Siyeon elbows her in the ribs and she cuts off with a heaving cough. She wheezes and glares at Siyeon as she waddles into the back. 

“She had to go,” Siyeon says. 

JiU looks amused, a smile on her stupidly perfect face. Siyeon tries her hardest on making this order after she rings JiU up. Normally she fucks up, or if she doesn’t fuck up she doesn’t care enough about the customer to be personable but— 

“Here’s your order.” And if her face goes hot when JiU’s hand brushes over hers and stays a few more seconds longer than necessary, well. At least Gahyeon isn’t there to gloat or make fun.

“Thank you,” JiU says, sincerely. “Coming here is really a highlight of my mornings.”

Siyeon breaks out into a big smile, which seems to have a domino effect and makes JiU smile also.

“I’m glad you enjoy the service.” Siyeon’s response shocks even herself. Did she really just say that? 

JiU chuckles. “I mean, it _is_ one of the reasons I come out of my way to come here every morning.”

“What are the others?” 

JiU takes a sip of her coffee, her eyes intense over the rim and not leaving Siyeon’s for a second. She’s closer to the door now. “The coffee,” she says. “The staff.” And Siyeon is sure she hallucinated, because she blinks and JiU is gone.

Siyeon gapes, staring at the door. She’s pinching her own elbow, just in case that was a fever dream or a hallucination. 

* * *

“She said _that_ to you, and you didn’t get her real name?” 

Siyeon glances at her best friend, her eyebrows raised and shrugging as if to say, _it happens._ At the look Yubin gives her in response, Siyeon wants to melt into this couch and disappear. 

“She was flirting with you, you idiot,” Yubin says. “This is, what. The fifteenth time she’s come in? She’s coming in specifically for you. She said she goes out of her way for the shop. She _flirted with you_. And you still call her by her order name.”

“Not all of us can be functional lesbians,” Siyeon mutters.

“Yeah, clearly,” Yubin jokes.

Siyeon swats at her but chooses to ignore that comment. “Where’s Yoohyeon?”

“Ah, she’s at work,” Yubin says, and even talking about her makes Yubin smile. 

“That’s gooey and disgusting,” Siyeon mutters.

Yubin rolls her eyes. 

“Besides, she’s a customer,” Siyeon continues, out of nowhere a few minutes later. Yubin doesn’t look surprised, though, just looking up from her phone with a patient expression. “What if I make a move and it backfires? She might just be friendly.”

“If you think she’s just being friendly, there’s no hope for you.”

Siyeon sighs, dramatically. “How do you _know_?” Siyeon whines.

“Just give it a shot, Siyeon,” Yubin says, actually trying to be helpful this time. “From everything you’ve told me, it really does seem like she flirts back. She’s probably not going to make the first move so you have to do it.”

“I hate it when you’re most likely right,” Siyeon mumbles.

“I’m literally always right and you know it.”

Siyeon huffs. “I know.” She rests her head on Yubin’s shoulder, and a moment later, Yubin rests her head atop Siyeon’s. 

* * *

“Maybe she’ll come in today,” Gahyeon says, hoping to lift Siyeon’s spirits. 

Siyeon just rolls her eyes and mumbles, “why, so I can _still_ not know her name?” 

Gahyeon opens her mouth to speak but the bell over the entrance dings and they both whip around to look and— 

“Oh, hey Bora,” Siyeon says, awkwardly. 

(How else do you say hi to your ex? Excitedly?) 

“Hey, Siyeon,” Bora says, cordially. “I didn’t know you were working today.” 

Siyeon shrugs a shoulder. “Iced coffee?” 

Bora smiles. “You remembered.” 

Siyeon bites down on her tongue to stop herself from snapping at her, so she just busies herself by making the coffee the way Bora likes it.

“Gahyeon, can you ring her up?” 

“Sure,” Gahyeon says, quiet, her hand resting on Siyeon’s waist for a moment. It’s comforting, knowing that _someone_ is on her side and if Yubin can’t be the one with her when she sees Bora, she’s happy that Gahyeon is. Siyeon tunes Gahyeon out as she tells Bora her total and they exchange uncomfortable pleasantries. 

She tops the iced coffee off with a caramel drizzle, just the way Bora likes, and she hates that she remembers this even a year later. 

“Here you go,” Siyeon mutters. 

“Thanks, Siyeon,” Bora says, genuine. “Hey, I was wondering if—” 

“No,” Siyeon says. “Whatever you’re going to ask, no. Thank you.” 

Bora looks crestfallen but Siyeon refuses to feel bad. 

“Okay.” Bora nods and takes a sip of her coffee. “Thank you. I’ll see you around, I guess.” 

And, of course, because Siyeon’s day isn’t bad enough, just as Bora is walking out, JiU walks in.

Siyeon feels her heart kickstart when— 

“Oh, hey, aren’t you Kim Minji?” 

_Huh?_

JiU, or Kim Minji, Siyeon supposes, looks over at Siyeon and meets her eyes before looking back at Bora. 

“Cover’s blown,” Minji jokes. “Yeah, that’s me.” 

“Oh my God,” Bora says, excitedly. She puts her coffee on the sill beside her and digs through her purse for a magazine. “Can you sign this for me? You’re my absolute favourite model.” 

_Model?_ Well, that explains a lot, Siyeon supposes. She watches the scene in front of her unfold with intrigue. 

“Thanks so much,” Bora gushes. She grabs her coffee and runs out of the shop, leaving Minji alone with Gahyeon and Siyeon. 

“Model,” Siyeon blurts. 

Minji is walking up to the counter, a look of bewilderment on her face. 

“I mean, that’s why you used a fake name,” Siyeon continues. She’s slightly embarrassed that she doesn’t know of her. 

“You really didn’t realize?” Minji says, and it’s a sentence that _could_ come off as cocky but Siyeon doesn’t see it that way, so she shakes her head. “I’m sort of glad, actually. And it does explain a lot. Coming in here gives me some of the most genuine human interaction I’ve had in a long while.” 

Siyeon feels sympathy. A little. “That sounds shitty,” she says, without thinking. So she backtracks. “I can’t imagine being famous and not knowing if someone is being nice to you because they have to or because they genuinely want to.” 

“Exactly,” Minji says, with a smile so bright that it actually hurts to look at her too long, so Siyeon looks behind her to look at Gahyeon. 

“I’m just gonna… go… on my break,” she says, helpfully. She gives Siyeon a wink and dashes off into the back, leaving Siyeon and Minji alone. 

It’s a little bit awkward. 

“Do—” 

“I—” 

“No, you go first,” Minji insists. 

Siyeon ducks her head and goes to the counter, leaning up against it. “I was going to ask you if you wanted your regular order.” 

Minji laughs and even _that_ is a beautiful noise. “I would, thank you.” She goes into her bag and fishes out her wallet. “Actually, can you get me a cheese croissant too, please?” 

Siyeon’s just finished making her latte, so she sets it on the counter and says, “sure thing.”

“Coming here really is the highlight of my days, you know,” Minji says, just as she hands Siyeon bills. Too much, actually. 

“Here’s your change—” 

“No, it’s a tip,” she says. “Please.” 

Siyeon’s ears burn and she nods, putting it in the tip jar beside the cash register. “Thank you.” 

“No, _thank you._ I mean it.” Minji gives her a megawatt smile. She turns her cup, sees that it still says JiU on it. “You’re still going to use my cover name?” 

“I figured you use it for a reason,” Siyeon says with a shrug. 

Minji gives Siyeon a look she can’t decipher. “You’re something else,” she says with a chuckle. And before Siyeon can question that externally, Minji adds on, “have a good day, Siyeon.” 

Just as soon as Minji leaves, Gahyeon bounds out from the back. 

“ _Kim Minji!”_ she exclaims. “I knew she looked familiar. I knew it.” 

“I still have no idea who she is,” Siyeon mutters. “I’m not into fashion. I don’t look at magazines.” She picks at the skin of her fingers. “What if she was offended I didn’t know who she was?” 

Gahyeon shrugs. “Honestly, she probably thought it was refreshing,” Gahyeon says. “I may have been eavesdropping. She _really_ likes you.” 

Siyeon snorts. “Yeah, okay.” She checks her watch. “Oh, shit, finally. I can go home.” She takes off her apron and shoves it in the laundry chute. She walks by Gahyeon, kissing her on the side of the head. “I’ll see you later.” 

* * *

“Hold on,” Yoohyeon screeches. “The customer who flirts with you is _Kim Minji_?” 

Yubin and Yoohyeon are sitting on Siyeon’s couch, Yubin’s head in Yoohyeon’s lap while scrolling on her phone.

“Oh, you know who she is?” 

“Yoohyeon’s worked with her before,” Yubin answers, putting her phone face down on her stomach and turning to look at Siyeon. “I’ve met her a couple of times, too. She’s really nice.” 

“Yeah, she’s like my older sister at work. I did a shoot with her when I was just starting out and she gave me all the right tips and stuff.” 

Siyeon bites on her bottom lip. “So, she’s actually genuinely nice, too?” She groans and lies flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling. “She’s perfect.” 

Yubin snorts. “The pining is going to get even worse now that you know who she is and you can Google her.” 

“I never even thought of that,” Siyeon mutters. 

(Siyeon can’t see, but she hears the sound of a smack and an, “ouch, Yoohyeon!”)

“I can… maybe introduce you to her. Properly,” Yoohyeon says. 

Siyeon bolts upright so fast that her head spins. “You’d do that for me?” 

“Yeah,” Yoohyeon replies with a laugh. “I can text her right now and we can all go out for dinner?” 

Siyeon feels her stomach tighten and she feels sick. God, she _wants_ to. She wants to so bad. But what if Minji is only nice to her because she’s an employee? What if Minji doesn’t even like women? What if—”

“Stop that,” Yubin chastises. 

“I’m not doing anything,” Siyeon grumbles. A pillow hits her in the side of the face and she turns to glare at Yubin, who’s sitting up on the couch now, looking innocent. “She’s a famous model. She’s on the cover of magazines. She’s not going to like _me_ . I’m a _barista._ ” 

“I’m a music teacher and Yoohyeon is still dating me,” Yubin points out.

Siyeon rolls her eyes. “Yeah, but you knew Yoohyeon _before_ she became a model.” 

“Ouch,” Yubin says with a chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck. Yoohyeon grasps her hand and puts it in her lap, playing with Yubin’s fingers while looking at Siyeon in that way she does. 

“That’s not what I meant,” Siyeon says, her fingers massaging her temples. “You know that, right? I didn’t mean it how I came out. I’m just nervous. What if she _just_ thinks of me as her barista?” 

“You’re so much more than that,” Yubin says. “And I’m sure she can sense it. Minji is really nice, and from what you’ve told me, she definitely flirts with you.” 

Siyeon sighs. 

“You’re also really hot,” Yoohyeon interjects after a moment. 

Yubin gives her a look. 

“What? She _is_ ,” Yoohyeon insists. 

“We all have eyes, Yoohyeon.” 

Siyeon tunes them out as they bicker back and forth for a couple of minutes and starts to think. 

Really, what’s the worst that can happen if Yoohyeon asks Minji to go to dinner with them? That they don’t get along and that’s that? It’s not like there’s anything to really lose, is there? 

“I want to do it,” Siyeon says, her mouth acting before her brain has fully come to that conclusion. 

Yoohyeon lets out a delighted scream, which makes Siyeon cringe and Yubin cover her ears. 

A couple of minutes later and Yoohyeon says, “Wow, she replied so quick. She said she’s free tonight! I told her that it would be a sort of… double date. She’s dubious about meeting Siyeon but not opposed.” 

“She doesn’t know it’s me, right?” 

“No,” Yoohyeon says. “Am I supposed to tell her?” 

“No, no,” Siyeon says, nervously. She gets up from the floor and stretches before making grabby hands at Yubin. “I need you to help me pick out an outfit.” 

Yoohyeon pouts. “Why not me?” 

Siyeon eyes her _very feminine_ dress and then looks at Yubin’s pants and tucked-in button up pointedly. Yoohyeon laughs. “Point taken.” 

* * *

“She’s not going to come,” Siyeon says, as they’re sitting in the restaurant. 

Yubin looks at her, unimpressed, about to snark at her before Yoohyeon butts in and says, “she’s always late. It’s her tragic flaw. She’s coming.” 

Siyeon fidgets, so much that Yubin rests her hand on her knee to stop the bouncing. “Sorry,” Siyeon mutters. 

“Ah, she’s here,” Yoohyeon says as she checks her phone. “I’ll go get her.” 

Siyeon feels a lump in her throat and her palms start to sweat. Her leg is bouncing again under Yubin’s hand. 

“Relax,” Yubin whispers, quiet. “We’re here with you, okay? It’s just a girl. You’ve conquered worse.” 

Siyeon sputters out a laugh and takes a deep breath. “Okay. Okay, I’m fine,” she says, just as Minji and Yoohyeon make their way to the table. 

“Oh, hey,” Minji says, brightly, smiling from ear to ear. “What a funny coincidence.” She sits down at the table, across from Siyeon. Her foot brushes Siyeon’s under the table and Siyeon almost jumps six feet into the air. 

“Yeah,” Siyeon responds, awkwardly. She catches the look Yoohyeon tosses Yubin. “How was the rest of your day?” 

Minji’s still smiling, even more delighted, it seems, to be asked that. “Oh, it was just great, thank you. How was yours?” 

“It was okay,” Siyeon says, still nervous. “Uneventful. You know, until now.” 

Minji tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s sweet.” 

The conversation is pretty easy, even if it is a little awkward. Yoohyeon and Minji catch up a little, discussing photographers and their next projects, until the waitress comes and asks for their orders. 

Yubin orders for herself and Yoohyeon, which makes Siyeon gag. Which in turn makes Minji smile behind her hand, and she looks cute as hell. 

“So, how do you three know each other?” Minji asks, once they’ve gotten their food and they can talk without much interruption. 

“Ah, actually, my ex introduced us years ago. We just wound up being very close and never looking back,” Siyeon says, swallowing her food down. “You met her earlier, actually. She’s the one who blew your cover in the cafe.” 

Minji’s eyebrows raise. “Wow,” she says, taking a sip of her wine. “That’s a lot.” 

“I’m still friends with both,” Yubin mentions. “I’m Switzerland. Neutral.” 

“I just know Siyeon through Yubin. Who is obviously my girlfriend,” Yoohyeon says, feeling left out, which makes the whole table laugh.

Just as Siyeon picks up her glass and takes a sip, Minji’s foot touches her calf, which makes her almost cough up her drink. She looks over her glass at her and she’s staring right at her, no shame. 

Well. 

Siyeon catches Yubin and Yoohyeon mouth across the table at each other, and Yubin stands from beside her. 

“We’re going to head out,” Yubin says, slipping some money onto the table. “Yoohyeon, uh—” 

“I don’t feel good,” Yoohyeon blurts. A terrible and obvious lie, and it makes Siyeon want to murder them both. But she can’t do that in front of lady, so she just sends them a death glare. “Yeah. Stomach ache. Sorry, Singnie.” Yoohyeon leans down and gives Siyeon a kiss on the cheek. 

Yubin kisses her on the side of the head before she gets up and grabs Yoohyeon’s hand. “Text me when you get home safe,” she says, and then she and Yoohyeon are gone. 

“That… I’m not crazy, that was complete bullshit, right?” Minji asks after a moment. 

“Yoohyeon is a good model but she needs acting classes,” Siyeon mutters.

Minji giggles. “You know, you’re funny,” she says. 

“I know,” Siyeon sniffs. “You’re really pretty. I Googled you after I found out who you are,” she admits. 

“So _that_ wasn’t a lie?” Minji says, gulping down the rest of her wine. 

“I’m not big into fashion,” Siyeon says awkwardly. “But Yoohyeon tells me that you’re a bit of a big sister for her in the industry. You were watching out for her when she first got started.” 

Minji nods. “I love my job and what I do but sometimes… I wish I had someone to look out for me when I began.” 

Just as Siyeon is about to respond, the waitress comes back to give them their cheques. Yubin left enough for herself and Yoohyeon, plus a tip, so she puts her own money in that pile, and Minji follows suit. 

Siyeon can tell that the tip she leaves is hefty, and that makes her heart swell. 

“I’ll walk you to your car,” Siyeon says, as she shrugs on her coat. 

Minji smiles, wide and pretty. “What a gentleman,” she jokes. 

“Ah, well, you know…” They walk out together, their arms brushing, until they’re in front of Minji’s car. “

“Tonight was fun,” Minji says, as she unlocks her door and leans on it. They stand there awkwardly for a moment, and Siyeon feels _something_ but of course, she does nothing about it. So, naturally, Minji gets impatient and says, “I’ll see you around, Siyeon.” 

“Bye, Minji.” Siyeon watches as Minji gets into her car, and drives away. 

* * *

“So, let me get this straight,” Gahyeon exclaims, when they’re both working together next. “You went out on a date with _Kim Minji_ , and you’re only telling me now?” 

“It wasn’t a date,” Siyeon snaps. “It was just… a dinner with Yoohyeon and Yubin, and Minji just happened to be there.” 

Gahyeon snorts. “Yeah, okay. Yubin and Yoohyeon are a couple. And you and Minji went with them. That’s literally a double date.” 

“Or just a couple and two friends hanging out.” 

“You’re literally hopeless, my friend,” Gahyeon tells her. “Literally and utterly hopeless.” 

“I—” The bell over the door rings and… it’s Minji. Siyeon closes her mouth, watching as Minji walks up to the service counter. 

She looks radiant. 

“Hi,” she says, taking off her sunglasses and putting them on top of head. 

“Hi,” Siyeon says. 

“As riveting as this is, I’m going to go on my break.” She elbows Siyeon in the arm before hopping into the back. To listen in, no doubt. 

“So—”

“I—” 

Minji laughs. “You go first.” 

“No, you,” Siyeon insists. 

“The other night was fun,” Minji starts. “But… I’m getting mixed signals. I’ve been coming in here for months, flirting with you. And then we have mutual friends who quite literally made up an illness to get us alone and you don’t do anything about it.”

Siyeon’s mouth drops open. “I—” 

“So I’m here to be the one to ask if you wanted to go to dinner, just you and I, alone. No Yubin and no Yoohyeon scheming.”

Siyeon is surprised. Her brain isn’t working yet, the wires fried. 

“Unless I’m completely misreading and you’re only nice to me because it’s your job—”

“No!” Siyeon says, louder than she means to. Minji looks crestfallen. “No, I mean.” She breathes deep. “I’m not just nice to you because of my job,” she clarifies. “Yes, I would love to go out with you.” 

Minji’s entire face shifts into a smile so big and beautiful that it forces breath out of Siyeon’s lungs in a giant puff. Wow. 

“Give me your number,” Minji says. 

Siyeon rips some receipt paper and scribbles it down, handing it to Minji. And if their fingers brush and hold for longer than necessary and if that makes Siyeon feel shivery all over, so be it. 

Minji goes to leave, so Siyeon blurts, “Wait, do you not want your latte?” 

“Well, if you insist.” 

Siyeon goes about making Minji her latte, feeling eyes on her the entire while. She wills herself not to blush under the attention but she knows she fails. 

Once Minji pays, she leans in close and says, “I really will call you. Tonight. And then I’m going to take you out.” 

“Okay,” Siyeon whispers. 

Minji walks toward the door. “Thank Yubin and Yoohyeon for me,” she says, nudging the door open with her hip. “Talk to you later, Siyeon.” 

* * *

She does call, at 7:30 pm that night. They make a date for the following Friday. 

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/blowthepiris)   
>  [come talk to me about my writing here!](https://curiouscat.qa/blowthepiri)   
> 


End file.
